Cheapest
Average
The best way to find a cheap bus ticket from Madrid to Bilbao is to book your journey as far in advance as possible and to avoid traveling at rush hour.
Find all the dates and times for this journey
Fastest Journey
3 h 55 m
Average
4 h
Buses per day
3
Distance
323 km
Of the 3 buses that leave Madrid for Bilbao every day 3 travel direct so it’s quite easy to avoid journeys where you’ll have to change along the way.
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Distance | 200 miles (322 km) | |
Average bus duration | 3 h 55 min | |
Average bus ticket price | $40 (€36) | |
Direct bus | Yes | |
Bus companies | Alsa Premium, Alsa Supra or Alsa |
Buses from Madrid to Bilbao cover the 200 miles (322 km) long route taking on average 3 h 55 min with our travel partners like Alsa Premium, Alsa Supra or Alsa. There are direct bus services available. You can get the cheapest bus tickets for this route for as low as $40 (€36), but the average price of bus tickets is $40 (€36). Travelers depart most frequently from Madrid, Estación Sur/Gare routière Méndez Alvaro - 83 and arrive in Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses.
For as little as $40 (€36) you can travel by bus to Bilbao from Madrid with Alsa. Omio will show you the best deals, schedules and tickets available for this journey.
Alsa is the main bus company in Spain, a subsidiary of the UK bus company National Express. Alsa offers a wide variety of national and international routes and transports more than 300 million passengers every year. Apart from the Standard fare, Alsa provides ticket types like Minimum, Reduced and Flexible fares on select routes for those looking to save money on bus journeys. While most travelers don’t mind traveling on normal buses with basic services like bathrooms, free WiFi, footrests and onboard entertainment, some others may want to check out Alsa’s deluxe buses like the Alsa Supra, Alsa Eurobus and Alsa Premium, which provide more luxurious amenities on specific routes.
Buses in Spain are an affordable way to travel between cities. A number of bus companies offer domestic and international routes. Buses from Madrid to Bilbao are operated by Spanish provider, ALSA with up to 20 departures a day. The first bus leaves in the early hours of the morning, while the last departure at around 8:30 p.m. Buses from Madrid to Bilbao require a journey time of approximately 4 hours.
Return buses from Bilbao to Madrid | Compare all modes of traveling from Madrid to Bilbao | Or learn more about buses to Bilbao
Average prices for buses from Madrid to Bilbao when you book in advance
Booking Period |
Average Price |
---|---|
Same Day |
€31 |
1 Day in Advance |
€31 |
1 Week in Advance |
€31 |
2 Weeks in Advance |
€31 |
1 Month in Advance |
€31 |
3 Months in Advance |
€31 |
Madrid to Bilbao Buses: General Information
While taking a bus is slower than both and train it is significantly cheaper and can take as little as 4 hours to arrive in Bilbao.
Buses from Madrid to Bilbao leave from the Intercambiador de Transporte bus station, located on Avenida de America, which has good local transport links by bus and metro to the rest of the city and the suburbs. Madrid's efficient and extensive transport network is supplemented by regular night bus routes. Taxis are also available at the bus station.
Bilbao is a bustling port and the capital of Vizcaya in the Basque Region of Northern Spain and is situated on the tidal Nervión River. Bilbao enjoys a mild climate, more temperate than much of Spain and has become increasingly popular, with visitors enjoying the art and architecture of the modernist Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry. Other attractions are the Basque Museum and La Ria Maritime Museum. Bilbao's Old Town, or Casco Viejo, has seven streets full of interesting shops and cafes. Buses from Madrid to Bilbao arrive at the TermiBus Station, which is linked by tram to central Bilbao. Bilbao has plenty of public transport options, including a Metro line, frequent Bilbobus City buses, one EuskoTran tram line, and the BizkaiBus service which covers surrounding regions and coastal towns. Bilbao has a weekend night bus service, while taxis are also available at the station.
When departing from Madrid, you have various bus station options to start your trip from including Madrid, Estación Sur/Gare routière Méndez Alvaro - 83, Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid) and Madrid, Estación de Plaza Elíptica. When arriving in Bilbao, you can end your trip in bus stations like Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses, Bilbao, Abando (Estación) and Bilbao, Calle Luis Briñas / Basurtuko Kaputxinoen kalea.
Passengers board the bus most frequently from Madrid, Estación Sur/Gare routière Méndez Alvaro - 83, which is located around 3 miles (4.9 km) away from the city centre, and they get off the bus at Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses, located 1.9 miles (3 km) away from the city centre.
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